Telegram-herald., 1887-10-09
"THE Sage or sELMoNT."
as Tries nis had az rhsoiosy-fhs Re
saits Tbsreof

satts IbereoL
T. IA EtlI0r al ne fz-z.s sAs EzzAlD.
have 6or sons tine becn al lntsrestsc
rea.ies OF ths etsssions from lie sage pen-
lie aas sarnsd al The distncslon aoS 60
generously accorded him- The TEL E0RAsf-
AzaALD Is te be congratulated On securing
SAGA 4 versatile writer 10 saFien IFS
colamas. II he IS a. good Farmer ss
be 10 writer, Ne can understand how be
cane 10 be known by that title. Agricai-
tlTs Is noble ealing and needs more
suah luen ss our sage among It's patrons.
fss usn, however. are successful Ia
more than one profession. and can seldom
oe accepted as suthoriIy when they venture
outsi sthelr specially. Our sage nas ifiely y
fufnisned "a with STRIKING hlustrsi.on 81
TIE average man ina5iht 10 appear 10 sc.
vantage 10 new roles. AS sheoiOSical
critic or rather as q critic Of theology, be 3
no longer a sage. he sinks 20 the level OF
men sh0 are far from being Sages.
Allow me 10 cal ala attepaoa 70 the iney-
itab.e conclusisn which hundreds
OF young men especially, vii
have nxed In their minds
a. they hnish reading his late article on
Those theological Muddles" Is not the
ministers ara fools; and religion Is q
muddle Of guesses which no sensible man
will give a moments serious attention!
See how naturally We can arrive at the
first conclusion. Our Sage declares that
Ministers often belong 10 the dark ages,
They are self-buried They bewilder and
make noise. but are themselves empty Of
sound. spiritual knowledse;" These san
daled and behooved warriors OF q dead can
tury." etc. OF course. our sage slludes TO
certain ones among the ranks otour present
Clergy men. but person who IS az ali prelu-
diced against ministers generally will not
De apt 70 notice this fact.
We also read: "Iheolcgeans do battle
with ghosts and dry bones" NJ distinc-
ton whatever Is made here. This IS pretty
rough on our theological seminaries al
over the world, and on the array OF learned
men who have earned the title OF ID. D., =
bat who ~caFrv on their discIssive battles
With Jerusalem blowguns and Roman
cross bows :"
~ Calling shooter" such as our Sage
uses will put 10 rout the whole army
What & contemplate set these preachers
are anyhow, And how contemplate a work
sre they engaged in if our Sage is TO be be-
heved. Hear him: "Popish mandates and
cranky superstitious, Fables and para
oies born OF the ancient ignorant, supersti-
tiOus and wilG-hesded, semi berbarous
tribes OF Palestine" But Christ. and Paul,
and John 70 say nothing about Moses,
David and Solomon, sprang from these
'trioes.' Oar SAGE slludes 10 their "nUr-
sery yarns which he assures Us the world
Is rapidly ouigrowing.
He also seemed % derive sincere pleasure
in ailuding TO the scandals OF the church
amply illustrated by pulpit snd camp
meeting episodes haiiing from Kent coun-
~" co We see ministers are not only
almost idiots. mumbling over nursery
RHYMES, but their morals are very shaky
indeed.
Our sage, we may be sure did not mean
10 convey such impressions. and will
doubtless De astonished that any sane per-
son could receive such an irnprt ssion from
his article, and yet Just here comes in the
harm from such writings IS this Multi
tudes OF persons are only too ready 10
glost over anything that casts iidicu.e or
contempt on the Bible, church or ministry.
Give them an inch and they take an ell.
The sage Of Belmont" and such great
orators IS Ingersoll. find little but sheer
nonsense in the theology of our day. and
laughing stocks in the present teachers OF
theology. and so the concerted young man
swells himself with supercilbous contem pt
and rsjoices that be Is not rs other men are
who bother themselves with religion, and
finds target for his wit in sacred things.
Verify there is more hope for tool than
him. When this condition ii reached.
Surely the sage OF Belmont" does not
wish 70 encourage our dudes 10 plunge 10
deeper depths OF degradation.
No doubt some ministers richly deserve
al the ridicule they receive. but are their
pretsnsions any more ridiculous than the
pretensions Of "Qnacks' in the other
professions
Our Sage i simply endeavoring 10
ridicuie the "QGacks Why not be 80 ex-
piicit that no one could possibly mistake
bis intention or meaning and not afford
the riosld inideiity Of our time fresh op-
portunifiss 70 eject its venom
one more correction and 7 an done
Writers. even among religious people. are
very foDd Of making sport OF Theology. The
ate II. ". Beecher was quite fond of this
sport
Theology. however does not desire al
this ridieu.s Does our Sage need 10 be
told that theology = older than religion
and that religion ante-dstes all other
achievements Of man. In the highest and
noble~t ssnse Of the term theology is the
revslstion or word Of Cod 70 nan without
shich religion would De impossible The
0logv IN the lower sense is only word
shont God but in the better sense it Is q
word from God. and thus stands for tbe
hizhesf. aobiest experiences OF the hunsn
soul-the most sublime Of al nsfure's nays
'sries Theology. IN tie lover sense. Is an
attempt on the part OF man 70 reduce hi.
great experience 20 words. to reduce it 20 z
sciences. % explain it 20 define il. And
when small minds make this attempt the
descent from the sublime 10 the ridiculous
IS enough 20 make one smile. Bat ths
scientist = oftsn equally ridiculous in his
srfenpfs 90 explain The majestic proC ssses
OF nature A nsn q theology a-srs an sx-
SCI ration % his mental s1d moral develop
msns, bat when our ssCs = laughing ~ ths
particular theology of particular sect o.
man hs sroul8 - csrsfut not 20 insnlt tbe
entire religious world and become himsell
c clniemptbis.
Respectfully submitted.
CHAsfxs r eEsSON.
Acting Chariain Nfch. Soldiers Home.
Are v0u sad. 5rsponssr-. zloonTf
Ara rcr sore distressed
rr. D..